The Steelers may have the best set of triplets in the NFL with Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown who could all single handily take the Steelers to the Super Bowl. The defence may need some work but it looks better than it has over the past couple of years. If the Steelers can figure out the defensive side of the ball they can compete with the Patriots to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Arrivals/Departures:
Arrivals: Tyson Alualu, Knile Davis, Justin Hunter, Coty Sensabaugh
Departures: Jarvis Jones, Lawrence Timmons, Markus Wheaton
Offence:
Ben Roethlisberger remains one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and with elite weapons around him he could lead the Steelers to a number one offence in the NFL but durability remains his biggest question mark. Le'Veon Bell is the best running back in the league but staying healthy is also a problem for him. Bell brings his own approach to the run game and is probably the most patient back of all time. James Conner who beat cancer will be Bell's backup and since Bell has injury problems he could see lots of time. Antonio Brown is a top tier wide receiver who takes the top off of any defence or corner who tries to take him on. Martavis Bryant will be alongside him coming off a year long suspension and Eli Rogers will start in the slot. They also have great depth at wide receiver with Sammie Coates, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Justin Hunter. Jesse James will be the starting tight end and is the weakest part of the offence. The offensive line is also one of the best in the NFL with Maurkice Pouncey anchoring it. David DeCastro is one of the best guards in the NFL as he teams up with Ramon Foster at the guard spots. The tackles will be Marcus Gilbert and Alejandro Villanueva who used to serve in the military.
Defence:
Cameron Heyward leads the defensive line after missing the second part of the 2016 season he should be ready to contribute again. Stephon Tuitt has steadily improved in his career turning into a solid player while Javon Hargrave plays defensive tackle. New comer Tyson Alualu will also get a big chunk of playing time after coming over from the Jaguars. Ryan Shazier has also been improving throughout his short career turning into the best player on this side of the ball for the Steelers. James Harrison is no longer the player he once was but he still may be the strongest player in the NFL and can contribute. Bud Dupree and Vince Williams will be the other starters while Arthur Moats and TJ Watt provide depth. Artie Burns and Ross Cockrell are just average cornerbacks and will start for the team ahead of the aging William Gay. Senquez Golson has not played a game in his career yet after suffering two season ending injuries but if he manages to make it to the start of the regular season he should see snaps. Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis will be the starting safeties once again, Mitchell is a solid safety while Davis is more of a backup on a good defence.
Special Teams:
Chris Boswell showed his worth to the Steelers nailing six field goals vs the Chiefs in the playoffs helping them win a game where the offence failed to score a touchdown. Jordan Berry is a solid punter who gives the Steelers a good special teams duo. Star wide receiver Antonio Brown will be the punter returner again with Sammie Coates returning kickoffs.
Starters:
Offence
|
Defence
|
Antonio Brown
|
Cameron Heyward
|
Martavis Bryant
|
Javon Hargrave
|
Eli Rogers
|
Stephon Tuitt
|
Alejandro Villanueva
|
Bud Dupree
|
Ramon Foster
|
Ryan Shazier
|
Maurkice Pouncey
|
Vince Williams
|
David DeCastro
|
James Harrison
|
Marcus Gilbert
|
Artie Burns
|
Jesse James
|
Sean Davis
|
Ben Roethlisberger
|
Mike Mitchell
|
Le'Veon Bell
|
Ross Cockrell
|
30. TJ Watt
62. JuJu Smith-Schuster
94. Cameron Sutton
105. James Conner
135. Joshua Dobbs
173. Brian Allen
213. Colin Holba
248. Keion Adams
Top 10 Players:
10. Mike Mitchell
9. Marcus Gilbert
8. James Harrison
7. Cameron Heyward
6. Ryan Shazier
5. David DeCastro
4. Maurkice Pouncey
3. Ben Roethlisberger
2. Le'Veon Bell
1. Antonio Brown
Season Prediction: 11-5 (1st in AFC North)
Last Year: 11-5
Photo credit for Tyson Alualu goes to http://www.jaguars.com/. Antonio Brown goes to http://www.foxsports.com/. Ryan Shazier goes to http://www.steelers.com/. Ben Roethlisberger goes to http://www.espn.com/.
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